


Night Rituals

by ZeldaVV



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, Nightmares, fluffy angst actually, thE PAIN IS REAL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11953398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeldaVV/pseuds/ZeldaVV
Summary: He winces at the pain of that cracking voice for the 1001th time. And wonders if it will ever go away. He hears the soft sobbing and the begging and the apologies.He also hears the grief and the suffering of a soul too old for its body and a pain too great for its heart.





	Night Rituals

**Author's Note:**

> A piece of it inspired by the amazing surfaçage and her stunning art   
> http://www.surfacage.net/post/142874199899/naruto-loves-when-sasukes-hair-gets-a-little

Sometimes Naruto wakes up at night.

Usually they're nightmares, but sometimes he doesn't sleep at all.

It's those lonely nights, when it's just the sound of your thoughts and the silence of darkness. And, as every soul that stays awake past midnight, ends up thinking about life.

He waits. Subconsciously counting backwards.

It starts with the soft sound of the sheets as the body beside him starts to move slowly, struggling with whatever is happening in his sleep (and he knows exactly what).

Naruto glances at the delicate features glowing in the moonlight, not quite frowning, but somehow managing a whole new expression of pain. A pain that he oh so wants to carry away from that beautiful face.

And then again, for the 1000th time since Naruto shares his bed with him:

"No... Itachi... I'm sorry, I'm _so so sorry_... _Please_..."

He winces at the pain of that cracking voice for the 1001th time. And wonders if it will ever go away. He hears the soft sobbing and the begging and the apologies.

He also hears the grief and the suffering of a soul too old for its body and a pain too great for its heart.

Naruto has no family, never did for real, so he has always tried to understand how losing a brother may feel.

He's got nothing except demonstrations, and he wonders if maybe that's worse that understanding it, because the person he sees as the example is the man he loves above all things.

He sees. He sees as Sasuke stares at his reflection, bangs long and framing his face, hair reaching lower than usual. And Naruto thinks that its just too much when he sees it tied in a low ponytail.

 _It must be self-harming_ , he thinks. And he knows he's right when he sees the tears running as long fingers reach for the pale face in the mirror.

The next day Naruto decides to drop Sasuke at the hairdresser, and later he treats him just a little bit better, more pampering than usual, but not enough to become obvious. But Sasuke is no fool, and knows exactly what he's doing. Neither of them act like he does.

"I didn't know... I didn't realise... Don't leave me, _please nii_..."

Naruto decides he's had enough and reaches for him, as he does every night since then. Light caresses and wet skin and silky hair, he whisper softly to that trembling and delicate figure, clinging and whimpering into his tan skin, later on melting into his embrace.

And everything hurts in the dark.


End file.
